Daredevil #2

By Mark Waid, Chris Samnee & Javier Rodriguez

Regardless of how many times you’ve picked up a Daredevil issue from this group, or even just with Mark Waid’s name on the cover, you’re going to come away impressed and wanting more; that’s just how it is. This issue is no different, even if Daredevil happens to now be in sunny San Francisco instead of dreary New York and everybody knows who he is under the horns.

After doing a bit of research (thanks, Internet!) on this character The Shroud that Mark Waid dug up—who, with a few minor changes, could basically be Batman… or Red Batman, as it were—it’s clear that he’s going to pose an interesting problem for ol’ Horn Head. That said, he very well could have been a brand new character for all this reviewer knew of him but if Mark Waid can do to The Shroud what he did to, say, The Spot then, yeah we’re in for another great revival of an old, discarded character. Something Waid does very well and something, at least for some characters, should happen more often. Is anybody else dying for more Stilt-Man? No? Crap…

You know how great Mark Waid is? Well, Chris Samnee and Javier Rodriguez just might be better (and I mean that with the utmost respect possible, they’re just that good). Everything in Daredevil looks and feels perfect; there’s nothing out of place or odd mistake that catches your eye and pulls you out of the story. It’s almost impossible to imagine anybody else working on a Daredevil book after, or before, these two because they’ve really just become the Daredevil artist team. That signature Samnee look, those perfectly picked Rodriguez colors… it all adds up to some of the best art work in comics today. Even something as simple as putting together a similar, but different, radar system for The Shroud is pulled off to perfection and easily answers the question of just how this guy gets around in one simple panel. Please, Mr. Samnee and Mr. Rodriguez, never leave Daredevil. Also, Marvel, give ‘em a raise would ya?

Okay that’s a whole lot of praise for a series that, by now, everybody should be reading even if you wouldn’t consider yourself a fan of Daredevil. These guys will make you a fan within a few issues, no question, and you’ll have one of those “Oooohhh” moments where you finally realize why everybody raved about the last volume and why everybody is already raving about this volume. It’s like a master class in comic book creation every month by three guys who do what they do better than almost anybody else out there. Buy it, read it, love it, cherish it while it’s here. As much as we all want Waid, Samnee and Rodriguez to stay on Daredevil forever, it’s probably not going to happen. But, hey, we can dream.